Piramal buys 5 brands from MSD for OTC play

Piramal Enterprises announced the acquisition of five brands from drug firm MSD for Rs 92 crore.

The acquisition done by the company’s consumer products division, includes brands in the gastro-intestinal segment including, Naturolax, Lactobacil and Farizym, which Piramal intends to offer through the over-the–counter (OTC) route. The brands hold a rich legacy in India and have a high consumer pull, says a company statement.

The Indian OTC market is valued at approximately Rs 15,000 crore, growing at around 14%.

At present, Piramal has six brands that figure in the top 100 OTC brands of the country. With this deal, this will increase to eight brands.

Nandini Piramal ED Piramal Enterprises said, “Our aim is to be a significant player in all the businesses we have retained in the healthcare segment. The Consumer Products business started its journey as an independent player in 2009 and was ranked 40th amongst all OTC players in India. The business has grown rapidly at 24% over the past six years and is now ranked 7th amongst all OTC companies in India".

Recently it acquired the babycare brand Little’s.

Most of the Piramal brands including Saridon, Ipill, Lacto Calamine, Tetmosol and Caladryl have a strong consumer franchise, it says.

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